80 Unique Pallet Projects You can Build for Less than $50

When I searched online for industrial rustic entryway tables I fell in love with one that was made from a pallet. I was hooked and started collecting pallet project ideas that eventually turned into this collection of 80 awesome pallet projects that are budget friendly. There are a couple of pallet projects below that are a bit over the top, like the deck, but it’s too cool to leave out.

Admittedly, I knew nothing about pallets so I did a little internet sleuthing. I’ve added all the important stuff, like their various designs, sizes, and toxicity levels, below. I also found some handy charts and safety precautions you should use whenever you use pallets.

Why Use Pallets?

Pallets are easy to find and often free for the taking. You can use pallets as a whole or by breaking them down into individual boards. Single boards from pallets are a great building material.

Wood from older pallets can have a beautiful weathered patina that is hard to mimic with new lumber and that makes them perfect for creating texture on a wall or other displays.

We’ve gathered some great information that will help determine which pallets are the best for your intended project and how to find affordable or free pallets. Also, be sure to check out our Pinterest page for some of our favorite pallet pins.

What is a Pallet?

A pallet is basically the bottom frame or deck that is used to maximize loads during transport. They are placed under packaged goods to make stacking easier and allow front loaders and forklifts to move them during shipment easily. Simply put, they act as a sturdy foundation and stacking tool.

Basic US Pallet Size

You can find some odd sizes but in general, 40″x48″ will be the most common size.

2 Main Types of Pallets

Stringer Pallet Design

There are two main types of wood pallets. The most popular is the stringer pallet design.

The Stringer design has a top deck and sometimes a bottom deck of equal size separated by middle framing boards. They are perfect if you need lots of boards for your project.

Common Deck Designs

2-Way Vs. 4-Way Entry

The most popular frames used for pallets is the 2-way-entry and the 4-way-entry. The entry counts refer to the number of openings on the sides of the pallet. A 2-way-entry pallet only has 2 places for a forklift to insert its arms in order to move it. A 4-way-entry has 4 opening, 2 on each side.

Different Deck Designs

Since different types of pallet frames are used for various weight loads and stacking needs there are a variety of designs available.

The open board and closed board deck are the two most popular designs for both stringer and block structures.

Open boarded pallets have a space between them and closed decks do not. It’s similar to building a deck onto your home, open decking allows water to flow between the boards and closed decking does not.

Look at the photo below, found on a great site called DIYReady.com and you’ll better understand the different types of wood pallet:

Handmade pallet bed and dotted bedroom wall

Wood Pallet Safety

Sometimes pallets are coated or soaked in toxic chemicals to extend their lifespan and keep bugs away.

If you will be using the pallet for a kitchen or outdoor dining area it’s important to steer clear of those pallets.

Luckily, most pallets will have a stamp on them to help you determine if they’re safe. There are also a few visual clues that can help too.

The IPPC Stamp

The IPPC stamp will tell you a lot about the pallet. Here’s a handy-dandy infographic from DIYReady.com that explains the stamps and codes found on most pallets.

Finding Pallets for your Home Decor Projects

Here in WV, there’s an old gas station turned pallet station that sells any kind of pallet you want. The more you buy, the cheaper they get.

I suspect there are dealers close to you and a simple Google search should help you find them.

If paying a few dollars per pallet doesn’t bother you, that’s probably the most convenient method of getting them. You can pay to have them broken apart as well and that’s especially nice because some pallets have some crazy nails that are hard to remove.

If you’re thrifty (or what my daughter likes to call ‘cheap’) then you probably don’t mind spending a morning calling around asking store managers if they have any damaged or unneeded pallets that you could take off their hands. Smaller, locally owned grocery stores, furniture stores, and nurseries are great places to start.

Breaking Wood Pallets Apart

You can use a pry-bar to break pallets apart, but it will probably damage the wood a bit, so it’s best to use a saw and cut the nails and then pull them out. The video below will show you how:

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/4aXI3wOOjaU”]

80 Pallet Project Ideas for Every Room in your Home

Now that you know more about pallets, it’s time to learn just how awesome they really are!

If you’re lucky enough to find a few pallets for free, you can completely transform a room for practically no cost at all. You can also build anything you want – for cheap!

Below are just a few pallet projects that you can find online. There are entire websites dedicated to pallet projects so you can easily find a project that you will love. Just click on the pallet project title to be taken to the original site for instructions.

About The Author

Hello! I'm Crystal and I created Mobile Home Living® in 2011. I've proudly lived in manufactured housing most of my life and help repair and remodel mobile homes with my husband, a master plumber and general contractor.I hope Mobile Home Living is an inspiring and informative resource for you. Please consider letting me feature your remodels, DIY projects, and makeovers. There aren't enough resources for mobile home owners online and I want to change that! Thank you!

Probably the easiest method for bent nails is to cut the nails between the wood and then just pull them out. If the nails are straight just be careful when you use the hammer. The wood is usually a bit soft so you’ll want to be easy as you leverage the hammer. The guy in the video shows you how.

Oh, and sometimes the chemicals they use on the wood interferes or interacts with stain and paint (acts as a barrier of sorts). Just be aware that it may happen – it’s not you or anything you did. Sanding and primer usually help a bit (no primer for staining, though).

Best of luck!

Lynn Dillon on April 29, 2016 at 11:07 am

I love these ideas and am gathering pallets to do a fireplace project. What have you found is the easiest way to take the pallets apart without causing damage to the planks?

I’d start locally at flea markets just to get the practice in. I’d also open up an Etsy store or on Ebay and have a few bloggers mention it in an article and link to it. Shipping is going to be the real issue but people pay for shipping large items every day if they want an item bad enough.

Their is no sound scientific basis to state that MB pallets are dangerous.

Methyl Bromide is a fumigant, there is no condensation of the product nor is their residual outgassing. It is not like chemically treated lumber.

The concern for MB, and why it is being phased out, is that it depletes the ozone. It is for the most part not used in pallets anymore so if you find one they are more than likely beat up and useless.

The only allowable pallet wood that is still fumigated and allowed in the US , that I have seen, is the thicker more dense woods and I mean 4×3’s and thicker coming from India(again the only one I’ve seen) to ship slabs of stone.

Any deaths or illness have been from those who are actually using, applying and/or storing it. For years MB was used to fumigate homes. There were deaths and illnesses from people going back into there home while it was being fumigated… and I mean while the house was still tented.

It is still used for the inoculation of your captain crunch et.al. and the fields they are grown in. Remember in mono-culture farming the soil is only to transport water, protect the the root from the sun, and keep the plant upright.

It is still allowed in Europe not for pallets but for nuts, seed and grain inoculation. Pest can easily wipe out dry goods in no time….every wonder why there are no bugs in your flour….

So my wife and I have just started collecting pallets. I am going to retire within this next year and I want to be able to make some pallet furniture for our place and to sell as an extra income. You have inspired the creative gods in me to want to get out there tonight and get busy…. (my neighbors will love me) NOT!!!. Keep up the great work and long live MHL and you Crystal

Just bought my first MH (signed papers this week), then found your site, which is chocked full of fabulous info! I’ll be renovating a room at a time by diy & will share pics along the way. Thank you for being here! MH’s have received a bad wrap for far too long. It’s wonderful people like you that are opening people up to the positives of MH ownership.

WOW, what a cool website…we are new to the Mobile Home world. In fact, we purchased our first 1977 MH located near Menifee, CA, a year ago; gutted it – and now we are putting it back together…using vintage finds including a Cherry wood kitchen that was given to us which came out of a beautiful custom home. Each room gets new drywall and we are relocating walls and putting in new doors. Bathrooms are a total gut job as well. We plan to retire there on the cheap and do some traveling. Blessings to you and all that you have going on too.

You are gonna love mobile home living! Not worrying about a house payment every month is awesome! Please keep us updated on your progress and take lots of pictures – I’d love to feature you and your home someday!

If there’s anything I can help you with along the way just let me know – you can comment on any article or just email directly at [email protected].

I, too, am from WV. Due to a turn in my husband’s health, we are currently downsizing to a double wide on a wooded acre. I have spent hours upon hours browsing your site, while waiting on the closing date. Thank you so much for your work – it is inspiring!

Thanks to you and all who have contributed, I can barely wait to begin personalizing our new home <3

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment such kind words! I hope you keep in touch throughout your new adventure – there’s nothing like the feeling you get when getting a new home – enjoy every moment!